Cheque from car insurance for my long deceased mother - what to do?

kevn42000

My mother died in February 2022. I am the executor of her estate. Rather surprisingly, I have just received a letter from Direct Line stating that she is due an additional payment for a Total Loss Motor Claim - incident in April 2019. In a separate letter there is a cheque made out to her for the amount (which is significant enough for me to wish to cash it). Her bank account is obviously closed so the cheque cannot be paid anywhere. Will the insurers pay her estate (through myself as the executor) if I contact them to inform them she is no longer alive? I am assuming that - even as her executor - the cheque as it is (in her name) cannot be paid into my bank account.

TELLIT01

Check with your bank.  As you are the executor you may be able to pay it into your account.  If they say you can't, ask Direct Line to issue a new cheque in your name.  I had something similar after my brother died.  A letter came through from a financial institution 10 years after he died, apologising for missing one of his accounts.  That cheque was made payable to me as "Fred Smith, executor to Bill Smith".

DullGreyGuy

What is the date of the cheque? 

You may be needing to ask for it to be reissued anyway if its over 6 months old in which case you may be able to ask for it to be made into a different name though this shouldn't be necessary if you have an executor account. 

kevn42000

TELLIT01 said:

Check with your bank.  As you are the executor you may be able to pay it into your account.  If they say you can't, ask Direct Line to issue a new cheque in your name.  I had something similar after my brother died.  A letter came through from a financial institution 10 years after he died, apologising for missing one of his accounts.  That cheque was made payable to me as "Fred Smith, executor to Bill Smith".

Thank you - I will try the bank first and take it from there

kevn42000

DullGreyGuy said:

What is the date of the cheque? 

You may be needing to ask for it to be reissued anyway if its over 6 months old in which case you may be able to ask for it to be made into a different name though this shouldn't be necessary if you have an executor account. 

Thanks - the cheque is only a month old, so no issues there - I'll contact the bank, although my mum's finances were not complicated (and I have lasting power or attorney for my brother's finances - he was the only other beneficiary) - so I never set up an executor account.

jellycat2024

kevn42000 said:

My mother died in February 2022. I am the executor of her estate. Rather surprisingly, I have just received a letter from Direct Line stating that she is due an additional payment for a Total Loss Motor Claim - incident in April 2019. In a separate letter there is a cheque made out to her for the amount (which is significant enough for me to wish to cash it). Her bank account is obviously closed so the cheque cannot be paid anywhere. Will the insurers pay her estate (through myself as the executor) if I contact them to inform them she is no longer alive? I am assuming that - even as her executor - the cheque as it is (in her name) cannot be paid into my bank account.

If you don't mind me asking what was the approx refund I have received a letter to confirm details so they can go ahead with calculating refund I'm curious if it's a tiny amount I don't want the hassle of chasing and been on hold with them (alot going on pwrosnal and work life at present)

Thanks